May 26
Born Today:
Frankie Manning
Frankie Manning (1914-2009), is one of the founders of the Lindy Hop. His mother, a trained ballroom dancer, encouraged him to dance and he frequented the Savoy Ballroom, serving as the choreographer for the amazing group, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. He partnered several amazing dancers, including Norma Miller (1919-2019) and Willa Mae Ricker (1910-1978) and he appeared in Hellzapoppin’ (1941), a dance clip you should look up right now. In 1955, he took a job with the USPS, but was rediscovered by a new generation of Lindy Hop dancers and he took part in the swing dance revival of the late 20th century. He co-choreographed Black and Blue (1989) and died one month before the large celebration of his 95th birthday. However, the proceeds from the five day celebration were dedicated to a foundation bearing his name - supporting the art of the Lindy Hop dance.
Also Born Today: Stage and screen choreographer Sammy Lee (1890-1968) choreographed Ziegfeld shows, including the original version of Show Boat (1927) on Broadway. Lee relocated to Hollywood in the late 1920s and directed musicals both before and after the addition of sound, including Baby Take a Bow (1934) and Bright Eyes (1934), both starring Shirley Temple (1928-2014). Dancer Thelma Hill (1924-1977) got a late start training for a ballet career and danced briefly with Les Ballets Nègres in the 1950s before turning to modern dance and performing with Alvin Ailey (1931-1989), later teaching Lester Horton (1906-1953) technique, one of the foundations of Ailey’s style, and inspiring the next generation of dancers. Ballet dancer Miroslav Kura (1924-) directed the Brno Ballet company from 1964-1973, the Ballet Company of the National Theatre of Prague from 1973-1989. Dancer Lisa Niemi Swayze (1956-) studied with Patsy Swayze (1927-2013) and married dancer/actor Patrick Swayze (1952-2009). She appeared in several projects with him and directed and starred in the movie One Last Dance (2003), along with her husband.